Young people have the skills our sector needs for the future

Rachel Craddock, Young People’s Programmer for the National Gallery talks about the need to bring new skills into the museum and heritage sector - and new people too.

Working in collaborative ways will be essential in the workplace of the future

In the run-up to our 2018 National Conference, we are running a series of think-pieces by sector leaders about key issues affecting our creative industries and the future of the workforce.

We’re still finding our feet when it comes to supporting young people’s professional development. We’re proud of the huge range of expertise we have across the Gallery – from fundraising to exhibition making to curating.

We want to share this with people who otherwise might not have considered this area of work as a potential career. We can do this by opening up the widest range of creative skills we work with, not just the traditional ones.

If we are going to secure the skills we need in museums and galleries to fulfil the fast growing areas of digital and audience research, we know we need to diversify our talent pool.

Our Young Producers programme is helping us take the first step. It’s a training programme that’s both challenging the way we work while changing how we work and who we work with.

We need to find new ways to offer decent work experience in the creative industries

Working in a collaborative way with emerging talent is changing how we view learning and engagement programmes. We are starting to grow future talent. It’s the beginning of a journey.

We are finding new ways to help young people to be work ready, in this or any other sector. We need to find new ways to offer decent work experience in the creative industries, including apprenticeships - experiences that create great things for both sides.

Imagine young people starting their journey with us, forging pathways into other disciplines and returning to us with upgraded skills to help move us forward. How great would that be?

We can help young people find the path that is right for them and work in a more open way, inviting young people to shape our organisations to make us better equipped to face the future.